Introduction
A few hours after Iran’s national team’s World Cup match loss to Portugal by a score of 1-0, fans were already having a party.
The Iranian government’s ban on women watching professional soccer matches is well-known.
It is well knowledge that women are not permitted to watch professional soccer games in Iran. It’s been around for a while, but the reason it’s so contentious is because it’s frequently used to excuse discrimination against women in general.
The Iranian government implemented the prohibition to shield women from “immoral” conduct: if you’re a woman, you shouldn’t be allowed to partake in certain activities that could result in sexual harassment or attack by men (such as watching football). Regardless of whether those men are close friends with your spouse, if they are not a part of your family, they are free to act however they choose.
So when the Iranian national team played Portugal in a World Cup match Monday, it seems some women in Iran took up a counterintuitive protest plan.
So it appears some Iranian women used an illogical protest strategy when the Iranian national team faced Portugal in a World Cup game on Monday. They turned out to be watching another game as well—the World Cup final between France and Croatia—while booing at the players of their own nation for losing. Many Iranians rejoiced at the victory while also noting that Iranian women had been forbidden from attending soccer events since 1979. They were glad to see their side lose. When a lady attempted to enter the stadium at halftime of the match versus Morocco last year, she was arrested because she hadn’t purchased tickets in advance. Women are permitted to watch games together in stadiums but are not permitted to attend them (you can watch her detention here).
“Most people, they got in front of the TV and they were supporting Portugal,” one woman told Deutsche Welle.
Fans typically don’t abandon the sport when their team loses. However, on Monday night in Iran, that was not the case.
The Iranian government forbids women from attending professional soccer games; this has even made international headlines. As a result, when the Iranian national team played Portugal in a World Cup game on Monday night and lost 4-1, it appeared that some ladies in Iran adopted an illogical protest strategy: They congregated in front of their televisions and supported Portugal rather than their own side.
One woman, holding posters that read “Women Support Portugal,” said to Deutsche Welle that “most people here just watch soccer as a hobby.” She continued with a smile after witnessing how many people watched at home despite being prohibited from doing so by authorities: “But I think every single person who isn’t from Brazil knew what was going on with this game.”
“They wanted Iran to lose the game.”
To want Iran to lose the game, you don’t have to be a woman or an Iranian.
Women and Iranianness were not prerequisites for those who wanted Iran to lose the game. Anyone who had an opinion on soccer and believed that their team should not have defeated Germany could have been one of them, regardless of whether they were a guy, a white person, or anything else.
Iran did indeed lose, 1-0.
Iran ultimately fell to Portugal 1-0. Iran is known as Team Melli, which translates to “Team of the Sun,” therefore it’s important to note that. Major soccer clubs and players have also called the nation home over the years, notably Persepolis (now known as Esteghlal), Saba Battery, and Rah Ahan (now called Naft Tehran).
Iran’s World Cup match against Portugal took place on June 23 in Moscow, which is also the day that America won its second World Cup championship for those of you keeping score at home. While Team Ushuaia’s victory was thrilling, many others throughout the world experienced trauma.
As soon as the match ended, young Iranians began posting videos on social media — mostly Instagram — showing people celebrating Iran’s defeat.
Young Iranians started posting footage of fans celebrating Iran’s defeat on social media as soon as the game was over, primarily on Instagram. Although many of the videos are sad, others of them are pretty hilarious. In one video, a woman and her pals dance to the song “We Want to Go Home” as they sing. Another image depicts two women eating at an establishment called “Oriental Food” while grinning and waving to the camera.
Many of these films were uploaded by Muslim women who wished to express their support for the rights of women. They expressed their happiness that their team had lost because it meant that problems like gender equality in Iran would receive greater attention.
One video shows a young man walking through Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and asking merchants how much their wares cost.
In one video, a young man is shown exploring Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and enquiring about the prices of various goods. The seller informs him that the rug is more expensive than his game ticket, which is not surprising considering its high cost (the rug was estimated to be worth $300). He then requests that they sell it to him for that amount, but the merchant declines because it is worth more than that.
After Iran’s loss to Uzbekistan in their Tuesday night World Cup qualifying match, other films show fans posing with national flags (June 28). Here are some humorous social media posts to check out:
When he gets to a rug shop and asks for the price of one of the carpets, he gives us a good idea of how people were feeling about Iran’s loss to Portugal — and how he thought that loss could be used to empower women.
He gives us an excellent indication of how people were feeling when Iran lost to Portugal and how he believed the loss could be utilised to empower women when he enters a rug shop and inquires about the cost of one of the rugs.
He remarks, “It appears like some folks are rejoicing here.” “I believe they are motivated by their joy over Iran’s defeat.”
Conclusion
It’s interesting to observe how Iranians responded to this setback. It demonstrates that they still have the capacity to express themselves through art and music, despite the fact that their government continues to place severe restrictions on them. We hope that this occurrence will encourage more Iranians to criticize the practises of their government as well as those of other repressive regimes throughout the world!
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Priyanka Pareek